circumscribe

to draw a plane figure around (another plane figure) either to intersect each vertex of the inner figure, as a circle around a square, or to have each side of the outer figure tangent to the inner figure, as a square around a circle

to enclose a solid figure within (another solid figure) in a similar manner, as a cube within a sphere or a sphere within a cube

Origin of circumscribe

Middle English circumscriben ; from Classical Latin circumscribere: see circum- and amp; scribe

Synonyms

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Quote

He took the golden compasses, prepared In God's eternal
store, to circumscribe This universe, and
all created things: One foot he
centred, and the other turned Round through the
vast profundity obscure, And said,'Thus far
extend, thus far thy bounds This be thy just
circumference,O world.' John Milton